State Budget Cuts To Be Announced Today

As 22 state troopers are expected to have left their jobs by Thursday, the Malloy administration will be announcing new budget cuts today.

Many of the cuts in the so-called Plan B budget were expected to be avoided because the state employees agreed to a savings and concession plan. But Republicans charge that the estimated $1.6 billion in savings is bloated and overestimated by at least $600 million.

Overall, 56 state troopers were laid off after union members refused to take a two-year wage freeze. Those troopers earn the starting salary of about $51,000 per year after graduating from the police academy, but many veteran troopers earn more than $100,000 per year with large amounts of overtime pay, according to state records.

Previously, 34 troopers turned in their equipment, and the remaining 22 were scheduled to leave their jobs by Thursday.